


Tipping Point

by ActualHurry



Series: Joker's Wild: Remix [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Lore Compliant, M/M, emotional foreplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 09:34:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18688816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActualHurry/pseuds/ActualHurry
Summary: Shin almost dares to be domestic, but Drifter's got other things to worry about.(Takes place before & during the Allegiance Quest.)





	Tipping Point

**Author's Note:**

> So...soft stuff, eh?... :D

Shin woke up to the raucous clamor of metal falling to a hard floor.

He didn’t bother opening his eyes, because he’d been woken up similarly before, and he’d stopped caring somewhere between the second and the fourth. Drifter had a knack for slipping away to go busy his hands elsewhere, and Shin’s efforts to drag him back had been fruitless. He’d tried just about everything. Bribery, blackmail, bullshit…

He peeked open an eye to see the bare skin of Drifter’s back not an arms’ length away. Well...maybe not _everything_.

Shin pushed the sheets off, instantly blasted by the cold air of the Derelict. He let a little Solar energy keep him warm as he got out of the small cot, closing the little space between them. Drifter glanced back to look at him and then grew more and more tense the closer that Shin got.

“It can’t have been that long since I fell asleep,” Shin murmured, daring to rest his chin on Drifter’s bedhead as he slid arms around his shoulders.

“Been an hour or so,” Drifter said stiffly.

Shin took a breath, his cheek pressed against Drifter’s hair. He smelled like Dark Age gun oil and something spicy, with just a hint of leftover sweat from their earlier activities. “Then I reckon it’s high time for another round,” Shin said against his hair, low, trailing wayward fingers over Drifter’s stomach.

It didn’t seem to be the response Drifter expected; the tension fell out of him like an anchor in water, his sigh huffing out of him like relief, like _oh, is that all you want?_ “You woke up eager,” Drifter said wryly, leaning into Shin’s chest so he could tip his head back and peer up at him. “Thought you’d be hungry, after…”

Shin lowered his mouth to Drifter’s. “Hunger of a different kind,” he murmured.

Since Shin had started hanging around the Derelict, It had taken at least a week for Drifter to lower his guard enough to let Shin kiss him out of the blue, and days after that for Drifter to stop passive aggressively hinting that Shin needed to get out of his bed. But today, there was no protest as Shin pulled Drifter back to the cot, no objection as he slotted his leg between Drifter’s knees and rolled on top of him. Shin felt a thrill at the little victory. He’d always longed for this ease, despite attempts to quench the desire with small, heated indulgences as the Renegade. But Shin had always been an all-or-nothing type.

The rest of Shin’s drowsiness burned out of him as Drifter grabbed his hips and held them still, and then the fire burned brighter as Drifter helped him smooth out his eagerness with thumbs in the curve of his waist and a lazy rhythm to go with the leisurely touch.

“Always overstayin’ your welcome,” Drifter breathed, a little harshly, but Shin chalked it up to getting his hand around Drifter’s cock. “I should…fuck… _ah_ , should kick you out one of these days.”

“Should,” Shin agreed, loosening his touch on Drifter just to enjoy how he arched for it. Then, pushing his luck further, he asked, “Why don’t you?”

Drifter’s eyes flashed at the question, and he didn’t say anything as he threw an arm around the back of Shin’s neck to drag him down into a biting kiss. There went the tenderness, right into the devouring flames. Shin gasped a noise into Drifter’s mouth, ran his tongue along his teeth and shivered into it, nearly got too wrapped up in the heat.

He knew he could push back against Drifter’s pull, though, knew it well by now. Shin held him against the bed and kissed him with a vengeance, felt Drifter shiver with the twist of his wrist. Shin muttered soft encouragements to go along with his hard pace, Drifter rocking up into his fist, breath stuttering, grip on Shin’s waist tightening with every moment.

Shin was a fool for the way Drifter sounded when he forgot to be afraid, but Shin wasn’t  fool enough to be blind to the growing amount of pressure – from Shadows, from his own choices – surrounding him, the Man with the Golden Gun, the legend, the Gunslinger. Not even a blissed-out orgasm, not even the same pleasure mirrored on Drifter’s face as he finished in Shin’s hand, could make him oblivious to it.

But he’d dreamt about this. He’d obsessed over this. He’d wanted nothing more than this, Hope sated by him, Drifter panting in the comedown with the closest thing to calm he’d ever had on his face, probably. And Shin got it, he got it all the time these days in the briefest moments, but those _moments_ kept him going. He’d been crashing in Drifter’s ship for…too long. Weeks, now, off and on. Finally, they’d at least gotten to this.

Drifter’s quick breaths calmed into something less worked up, and he opened his eyes to look at Shin like something suspect instead of something fond.

Shin grit his teeth past the frustration. Even on the rare occasion Drifter let Shin have his way with him, it always came with that distrust. Something _fragile_ , waiting to be broken.

Shin felt tired all over again.

He moved off of Drifter, couldn’t move much further away with the lacking size of Drifter’s cot. He flopped back down against the mattress, tugging the sheets up to wipe them both down, ignoring Drifter’s eyes following his every movement. Shin threw the sheets back down to the bottom of the bed. The air was hot enough from them both that the cold wouldn’t filter in yet. Not just yet.

“What’d you drop on the floor?” Shin asked suddenly to break the silence that’d fallen between them.

They weren’t cuddling, either, no matter how close they were, no matter how much of their bodies were pressed together. It was just impossible to get away from each other.

“Pieces of a new gun I’m makin’,” Drifter said. Maybe he wanted the subject change as much as Shin did. Sure sounded like it from the easy way he answered. “For…my new project. Gambit Prime. Gettin’ new goodies together for the playtesters.”

“Oh, yeah.” Drifter had told him about it before, and Shin remembered thinking that if this was his endgame, Gambit had really only been a drop in the water to what Prime was going to be. “Got anybody takin’ you up on it yet?”

Drifter shifted, but only barely. He was stuck between Shin and the wall. “Yeah. Joxer, for one. Later today, even. If he shows up.”

Joxer. Interesting. “He ghostin’ you?”

Drifter laughed, then caught himself. “Ah…nah, nah. Nooo, nothin’ like that, he’s just…he can be a flighty one.”

Shin propped himself up on his elbow. “Want me to hunt him down?”

“ _No_ ,” Drifter protested, focusing a glare at him.

“Joking,” Shin said, bristling. “I play Crucible, I know the guy. That’s all I meant.”

“Yeah, but you got a knack for stealin’ away my players, so…knock it off.”

Shin shrugged, turning over so he could sit up and throw his legs over the side of the cot. “Sorry. I hear I’m a hot commodity among the upstarts.”

He was treated to Drifter snorting in response, like Shin had surprised him with the humor. “Yeah, don’t remind me.”

“Don’t worry.” Shin tossed a look over his shoulder as he stood up. “They’re too young for my taste.”

To think he almost got away with the remark; it was Shin’s turn to be surprised when Drifter’s arm went around his waist, tugging him right back down to the cot. The hands on him felt almost possessive, and Shin went breathlessly into the mattress as Drifter pressed down on his shoulders and crawled over him, mouth at his jaw and lips curved into a smile, baiting him.

“S’that so, Mr. Malphur?” Drifter asked, teeth going to his throat. “Why don’t you stay a li’l longer to convince me?”

Of course, he stayed.

 

If Shin had his way, he would’ve never left. But things weren’t ever so easy. Two things got in the way, forcing him into action.

The first: A Vanguard meeting regarding Drifter was called, and Shin was (kindly, politely) asked to attend.

“Your report implies that you would vouch for the Drifter if it came to it,” Ikora said. She peeked past the screen in front of her, where all of Shin’s letters to Shaxx were being displayed. “Will you confirm?”

“I can,” Shin said. “He plays a necessary role.”

“And you are completely certain he isn’t putting the City and those in it in any danger?” Zavala pressed.

“If anything, he’s making it safer.”

The Vanguard swapped glances. Ikora walked around the console, never turning away from Shin. He looked up at her, the helmet covering his face ensuring that his expression gave nothing away.

“Lord Shaxx shared all of the reports with us,” Ikora went on. “With your… _observations_ …in mind, we intend to grant the Drifter a permanent lease within these walls.”

Shin blinked – he thought of the alley and all the moments shared there – and then nodded, shaking practicality loose from the binds of distraction. “Seems about time.”

“We thought the same,” Zavala said. “If he is to continue his work with Guardians, we’d rather he do it in the open. If he has nothing to hide, that is.”

Oh, he had plenty to hide. But Gambit? Gambit would live on, regardless. “I agree. I think it’s the next logical step,” Shin said.

Zavala rubbed his jaw idly. “Yes. He’s gathered quite the audience, hasn’t he...many supporters, and some defenders. Like you, and unlike you.”

Referring to the Dredgens, then. Shin bit back his smile. “The Drifter can be compelling.”

“So you say,” Ikora said. Then, dry: “He has…what was it, ‘eager charm’?”

“Sure.” Shin’s face felt a little too warm. “If you’re gettin’ at concern, don’t. My report’s integrity stands.”

“Of course,” Ikora assured him, serious once more. Zavala wouldn’t quite look at him.

Shin cleared his throat and stood up. “If that’s all,” he began.

“We also wanted to inform you,” Ikora cut in. “We are requesting the Praxic Order’s aid in looking into matters.”

Shin stopped. “Are my observations not thorough enough, Vanguard Ikora?”

Ikora’s brows raised. “As a matter of fact, the opposite. Your report is perhaps the most critical piece of evidence we have in support of the Drifter’s innocence.”

“Why the investigation, then?”

“Because if everyone is to be convinced,” Ikora said, low, “ _everyone_ must be convinced.”

Zavala cleared his throat, gesturing at Shin. “We do appreciate your work. You’re well-respected, as is your word. But these days, respect is not enough anymore. Guardians born after the Red War value different things than the older breed. We must account for every possible perspective. You understand.”

Shin understood, but it didn’t mean he wanted the Praxic Order sticking their noses where they didn’t need to. He’d have to play it smart. He’d have to play it carefully.

And he’d have to tread some lines.

“Of course,” Shin replied. “Grant him the lease. But –” He paused, looking back and forth between the surviving members of the Vanguard. “He’s not going to appreciate it. You’re going to scare him. What he does because of that fear – I don’t know.”

He turned around after another moment, cloak swinging behind him as he walked away.

Maybe the Vanguard would listen. That they had the kindness to tell him the Praxic Order’s involvement before it happened was good foresight on their part, but Shin didn’t like it. He had some options waiting in front of him. Either he could tell Drifter, or let it run its course.

Shin never had the chance to make a final decision, because the second thing keeping him from his impromptu vacation ran right up on the heels of the first: Aunor Mahal began digging up Shadows.

Teben sent a message letting Shin know there were some ‘obstacles’ plaguing the Dredgens’ business. While this wouldn’t have normally been an issue, the message came through as high priority while Shin was in the middle of a Crucible match.

He was picking off a couple unsuspecting members of the enemy team when his vision was suddenly obscured by the encrypted writing. Judging by what he could instantly pick up without consulting his Ghost for a decryption, Teben was miffed about something, and partially it could’ve been _Vale_ he was annoyed with, considering Vale hadn’t exactly been present for the last while. Shin was just embarrassed enough to be distracted, and the distraction cost him a shotgun slug right through the brain.

When he’d been resurrected and was standing safely back in his team’s spawn, Shin gritted his teeth together and sent a quick apology to Shaxx as he transmatted out of the game. He’d owe him ten more matches for leaving now, but he’d play them all.

He had his Ghost decode Teben’s message as he changed his armor out for gear befitting a Shadow – something darker, something simple, something threatening. After he finished, he checked over himself for any discrepancies and found none. It’d been weeks since he’d worn Vale’s armor; to trip up now would’ve been a travesty.

Finally, he read the message.

Then he swore.

Aunor Mahal was killing Dredgens. _Drifter’s_ Dredgens, not Vale’s, not really – which was the funniest, most ironic thing. Shin would’ve laughed if it didn’t throw a wrench in his own plans. If Aunor of the Praxic Order kept at it, then the Shadows that Shin wanted to draw into his fold would flinch away and find their Darkness elsewhere. He’d lose the ease of his trap. It didn’t make it impossible, but it certainly made it more _troublesome_. His long con, threatened, all because of one Warlock on a mission to raise hell.

He had to give it to her. This was an impressive venture. And to be on the tip of the iceberg that was the struggle of Light versus Darkness so quickly…that was even more admirable.

Shin hesitated only once before agreeing to meet Teben a little ways from the City to check things out. He hesitated, because if Aunor and her company were coming down on those with Dredgen titles, it put Drifter in the crossfire a lot faster than he’d expected.

Drifter could take care of himself.

But –

Shin’s fingers flexed, curled into fists. He transmatted his helmet away, wrung out his wrists, and scratched the skin below his ear, checking for the familiar trickle.

Nothing.

Shin took a deeper, calmer breath, and left to go find Teben.

He wasn’t Drifter’s keeper, and Drifter wasn’t his.

 

It was rare that anything went exactly to plan. Shin had too many things to handle as Vale, too many irons in the fire for just a day of work. It took a solid chunk of time before he was able to find his way back to the Derelict, a chunk of time spent reassuring Teben and invigorating the others, chasing Aunor’s trail and realizing, to little surprise, that the Guardian had yet another person trying to court their attention. If only Aunor didn’t send dead Ghosts to them to sway their opinion.

When he was able to return to the Derelict, there were dozens of tripmines waiting for him, which Shin carefully avoided detonating. It wasn’t the first time he’d almost died trying to pay Drifter a visit, but it was definitely the most explosive.

“What the hell,” he muttered, slipping past the last few interlacing lasers. Either Drifter was pissed at Shin’s sudden disappearance, or he’d caught wind of Aunor’s conquest against him.

 _Or_ , Shin thought, stepping over the final tripmine he’d almost missed, _both. It could be both._

He walked through the icy path that led to Drifter’s tucked-away room. He took his helmet off as he approached, his warm breaths coming out visible in the chilly air. Judging by the silence, Drifter wasn’t in, and his suspicion was confirmed when he ducked into the crate and found it empty. Shin wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not.

It looked like the place had been hastily packed, though, which at least gave support to the whole Aunor-on-Drifter’s-heels theory. Shin walked up to the table and found a little handheld console, blinking and waiting. He ran gloved fingers over the keypad, hovered over them, then pressed down.

Audio rattled alive from the device – Drifter’s voice. A recording. “ _As my new partner, couple things about me you should know_ ,” Drifter was saying. Shin raised a brow at ‘new partner’ _._ “ _I've been pittin’ a lot of very bad people against some good ones. Could end up being trouble for the City…_ ”

Yeah, no shit, it sure as hell could. What had Shin told the Vanguard – that he would vouch for him? He still would, too. He always would, but Drifter just _loved_ making things difficult.

“ _Hand to my heart, I regret anyone who takes a dirt nap on account’a me._ ”

Shin’s fingers slowly trailed off of the keypad. He pressed his lips together tightly as he watched the shifting levels on the little screen, as he listened to the honest words from a tape not meant for his ears. Obviously, it was left here for their Guardian, who unsurprisingly was one of Drifter’s many supporters Zavala had mentioned. Shin all over again felt hopeful about his choice, then hoped the Guardian didn’t pay Aunor too much mind.

“ _...The Warlords and the Iron Lords taught me that the Light is no gift. It brought hell to earth, and when we begged to die, it said hell no_.”

Shin stilled at the raw emotion in his voice, staring down at the recording.

“ _They say the Dark Age was untold suffering_ ,” Drifter was musing all the while. “ _I could tell you a lot._ ”

They’d never talked at length about this. Never touched the topic of Light and Darkness, not like that, despite Shin’s reputation. And now he was saying all of this, confiding all of this in –

Not in Shin. He was struck with guilt, but it was too little, too late to forget what he’d heard.

“ _Ahh, maybe next time. Go find the other tapes._ ” Then, almost to himself, Drifter huffed. “ _I made you tapes._ ”

With a laugh that sounded like disbelief, Drifter’s tape ended, the low buzz of the recording going quiet. Shin blinked at it and rubbed his hand over his face, taking a deep, deep breath. He wanted to find those other tapes. He wanted to know what was on them, wanted to know every piece of history Drifter was going to divulge. He wanted to be there for that, but…not like this.

Shin needed to find him.

He transmatted back to the City, landing on the Wall and striding off towards the alley without wasting any time. With any luck, he’d catch Drifter and be able to explain himself – mostly – without any trouble. Apologize for disappearing on him. Reassure him that the Vanguard was on his side, in some ways. Less so in other ways.

Shin had it all on his tongue, ready to say, when he ducked underneath the gate and found the alley completely empty. Boxes left behind, some of Drifter’s things, but no Drifter in sight.

Now, he figured, was as good a time as any to get worried.

“Hunter!”

Shin stopped where he was, already halfway out of the alley, before he turned to look Ikora’s way. She stepped forward, closing only half the distance between them, and Shin took nearly too long to remember that she wouldn’t recognize his face.

“You’re looking for the Drifter?” Ikora went on. She glanced over him, scrutinizing.

Shin nodded.

“He’s moved to a permanent lease,” Ikora said. “No longer tucking himself away in a decrepit, cobweb-filled alley corner.”

She sounded pleased, which boded well for Drifter’s chances here. Shin gave Ikora a thumbs-up gesture, imitating every other Guardian he knew, before he jogged off to the Annex. Far as he knew, it was just about the only area open to new vendors right now – and, if there was one thing he knew about Drifter, it was that he’d pick the shadiest place possible to conduct his business, no matter whether the business itself was shady or not.

Shin walked past the few Guardians headed towards the right side of the Annex, heading deeper until he could hear the familiar hum of a Gambit bank. A flickering light was his welcome mat as he turned the corner into the room.

Drifter stood on a little platform, facing away from Shin. The bank was swirling in the center of the room – probably the reason for the shoddy power. There was a _tink-tink-tink_ coming from the other side of Drifter, and as Shin drew closer he recognized it as a coin being tapped against the side of the railing blocking off the platform.

Shin couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

“There you are,” he said.

Drifter jumped, whirling around to face him with wide eyes. “You,” he demanded, and then stopped short. The coin, Shin noticed, was still clutched tightly in his fist.

“Me.”

They stared at each other, Drifter watching him closely. Shin let him look his fill, too busy taking in the sight of a Drifter put-together and breathing after being concerned, however briefly, that the Praxic Order had made good on their threats to Dredgens…even the former ones.

“You gonna just keep doin’ this thing?” Drifter said slowly. He flicked his coin between his fingers, nervous, then pocketed it. “Where you show up to bug me and leave...what? When you get bored?”

“I’m a busy man.”

“You’re a flighty bastard.” Drifter turned his head, glaring at the wall. “Leave a note next time or somethin’. Was thinkin’ you were gonna show up to shoot me in the back one of these days. I got enough to handle without _that_ on my mind.”

Except the way he said it made it sound like he was more worried that Shin wasn’t coming back at all – or maybe that was Shin’s dreams whispering wild desires to him. He shook his head out and swallowed.

“Yeah, I know,” he said, halfway to an apology. Instead, he added, “You rigged up the Derelict real thoroughly.”

Drifter snapped his gaze right back to him. “Why were you on my ship?”

Shin thought of the tape and kept his mouth shut. “Lookin’ for you,” he said, honest at least about that.

“Doesn’t that just make me feel so _special_ ,” Drifter said, laced with venom. “Congrats, brother. Y’found me.”

Shin shrugged off the sarcasm and instead peered around the room. It was spacious, despite being closed in on every side – but with the places Drifter’d put himself in before...a small freezer in the Derelict, a dusty alleyway. This was roomy in comparison.

“Got a lease, huh?” Shin asked. “You moved quick.”

Drifter shifted his weight back and forth. “Had to,” he muttered, sounding resentful. “Alley was bugged.”

Shin frowned, then suddenly felt himself blanch with what that meant. “Since when?”

“What, you nervous about Shin Malphur’s moanin’ gettin’ leaked to the Vanguard?” Drifter snorted. “Relax. Pretty sure they bugged it after you started crashin’ on my ship.”

“Oh. Good.” Shin hoped his flush stayed on his neck and away from view. “Good, I guess.”

“Yeah. I _guess_.”

Drifter said it mockingly, like he wasn’t so sure Shin meant anything he was saying, and if that didn’t just needle at him. Shin made a noise in the back of his throat, reaching out, but almost dropped his hand entirely when Drifter wrinkled his nose. He pressed forward anyway, caught Drifter’s wrist and tried tugging him a little closer.

“What’re you even doin’ here?” Drifter asked as he stood firm, suspicious, weary.

“I…” _Was worried about you, wanted to see you, missed you._ “Sorry I wasn’t here.”

Drifter blinked at him, blue eyes going owlish for a split second. Even though he didn’t let himself be moved, something about his frown was softer, less resilient. “Yeah, well. Was a little tired of crawlin’ into the alley anyway.”

“I thought it was cozy,” Shin said, lips tilting upwards a tiny bit.

Drifter coughed, sounding almost like a stifled laugh. “Now, c’mon, don’t lie to me.”

Shin leaned in and stole a kiss.

Drifter’s surprise came in the form of a firm mouth and unmoving lips, all the way up until Shin started pulling back. Then Drifter pressed forward with retribution, kissed Shin like he was determined to make up for the time that they _hadn’t_ spent kissing. Shin stumbled backwards a step, other hand snapping to Drifter’s hip to keep himself upright, and Drifter laughed into his mouth, a touch of mania to it.

Shin kissed tenderly; Drifter kissed vindictively. They’d argued with words before and this wasn’t it, but wasn’t unlike it, either – it was still a tug of war, still a fight in some unspoken way. One of them was going to have to shift to accommodate the other, and Shin was determined that it wouldn’t be him.

Between one kiss and another, Shin mumbled, “Hey.”

In the moment that Drifter paused, Shin pecked his lips. Drifter blinked, drew back, and Shin did it again, his kisses soft and brief. He kissed one corner of Drifter’s mouth and then the other, and then Drifter started trying to turn his face in every direction except in the way of Shin’s lips.

“What’s your deal?” Drifter asked flatly.

Shin kissed him again. He pushed until Drifter had to move or be moved, until Drifter was corralled between Shin’s arms against the railing, until Shin was kissing him slow and open-mouthed and messy, and Drifter let him in with parted lips and a welcoming tongue, no hint of teeth, only a dizzying deepness to it.

Delight curled up tight in Shin’s chest when Drifter’s kisses went from stern to slack, giving and wanting more than taking and needing. Shin traced his tongue along Drifter’s lip, heard the tiny, quiet sound he made, and chased it. He teased another sigh out of him with a playful press of teeth, felt Drifter’s hands grab at his back and fingers dig into his cloak, tugging him closer with each meeting of their mouths.

Shin broke off only so he could take in fast breaths, moving to tuck his face against Drifter’s neck instead, still mouthing kisses there at his jaw. His hand curled around Drifter’s nape, toying with the short hair there.

“Butterin’ me up,” Drifter accused, but he sounded almost fond. Almost. Winded, at the very least.

“Guess you could say I want somethin’,” Shin murmured at his ear.

Drifter stilled, his hands sliding down Shin’s spine and resting at his lower back. “What?” he asked, skeptical.

With his eyes closed, Shin leaned back from him a bit. He curled his finger around the string of Drifter’s necklace, yanked it lightly, then lifted it up over his head to catch it in his palm.

Drifter puffed out a long breath. “Asshole.”

Shin pocketed the pendant along with its string, then reeled him in for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3


End file.
